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Qi and Blood Soaring Hall, this magnificent building, sits in the very center of the Body Sect. It is not only the residence of the Body Sect's successive Sect Masters but also the core of the entire Sect's decision-making.
In the great hall of Qi and Blood Soaring Hall, a burly old man sat upright in the main seat, looking sternly at the middle-aged man before him. This old man was the current Sect Master of the Body Sect, and a powerful aura emanated from him, inspiring awe in others.
"Changyou," the Sect Master said sternly, his voice deep and powerful, "You are only at fifty-fifth rank now. A second Awakening is indeed difficult. In my opinion, it would be best if you waited until you Breakthroughed to Spirit Emperor before attempting it. That way, the chances of success will be greater."
The middle-aged man standing before the Sect Master was named Seventeenth. He was about thirty years old, tall and slender, with a refined and scholarly appearance. However, his eyes revealed a firm resolve and determination.
Seventeenth frowned slightly, clearly displeased with the Sect Master's suggestion. He retorted, "Sect Master, you know that with my talent, even the fastest Breakthrough to Spirit Emperor would take three years. What difference would attempting a second Awakening three years from now make compared to now?"
The identity of the old man before them was also self-evident—the Body Sect's Sect Master, Body Douluo Chu Shanhe. The Body Sect had two Douluo: Sect Master Body Douluo Chu Shanhe, and Second Elder Jade Skin Douluo.
Seventeenth then said with a bitter smile, "Besides, what good would it do even if I really Breakthroughed to Spirit Emperor? Seventh Sister's innate Spirit was even above mine, and she still met that end. Can my foundation really be stronger than Seventh Sister's?"
Chu Shanhe fell silent. For over eighty years, he had seen too many Sect Disciples attempt a second Spirit Awakening only to meet a tragic end. They should have had bright futures, but ultimately, their Spirits were crippled, or they even perished. All of this, even with his Titled Douluo Mind, was an immense torment.
After a moment of silence, Chu Shanhe said with difficulty, "Actually, you don't have to be so fixated on a second Awakening. Even without a second Awakening, with your talent, you can still Breakthrough to Spirit Saint and become..."
"No! Sect Master, if the Body Martial Soul were just an ordinary Spirit, perhaps I could accept my mediocrity; however, that is not the case. Its potential is enough to reach the absolute peak!" Seventeenth interrupted Chu Shanhe without hesitation, his voice revealing a resolute and firm determination.
If he hadn't witnessed the power of a Body Martial Soul after a second Awakening, he could naturally deceive himself; but he had seen it, and he knew how terrifying a Body Martial Soul was after a second Awakening, which made him unable to accept his current self.
Seventeenth continued, "That's right, even if I don't undergo a second Awakening, I still have a chance to become a Spirit Saint. But, Sect Master, you must understand that what our Body Sect lacks is not just a Spirit Saint! What we truly need are powerful individuals who can awe all directions and make even those great Sects wary of us!"
His words were like a sharp sword, piercing through Chu Shanhe's suggestion and revealing the current predicament faced by the Body Sect.
The Spirit Master's world is like an ecosystem; either you eat me, or I eat you. If you don't want to become fat in someone else's eyes, you must become a predator at the top of the food chain.
Not only Seventeenth, but everyone in the Body Sect knew that relying solely on their existing strength, the Body Sect would find it difficult to establish itself in the Spirit Master's world, let alone compete with those Sects with powerful foundations.
"I grew up in the Sect, and I only learned a little about the Body Martial Soul's plight from my father and uncles. I once heard people disparage our Body Martial Soul as a 'waste Spirit' and consider our Body Martial Soul Spirit Masters as 'low-grade Spirit Masters.' At that time, I thought it was simply absurd and ridiculous!" Seventeenth's voice rose slightly, as if he were vindicating the Body Sect.
"You know, our Body Sect has two Douluo! Such a glorious achievement, even the Upper Three Sects, which are praised to the skies outside, would probably find it difficult to compare, wouldn't they?" Seventeenth's words were full of pride and confidence in his Sect.
"It wasn't until I truly began to venture out into the world that I suddenly realized how naive and ridiculous my previous thoughts were! Those powerful Spirits, once Awakened, are almost invincible at the same level! Ten years ago, I personally witnessed a Spirit King with a dual-palm Spirit being brutally smashed to death on the Douluo stage by a Spirit King with a Clear Sky Hammer Spirit! In terms of spirit power, that dual-palm Spirit King was three whole ranks higher than his opponent! But because his Spirit's strength was insufficient, he was simply no match for the other party. If his Body Martial Soul had undergone a second Awakening at that time, the outcome would definitely have been completely different; he certainly wouldn't have lost so miserably."
"Do you still remember? The last wish left by the first Sect Master back then—'May all Body Martial Souls in the world be one family someday.' You should be clearer about this sentence than I am. Our Sect's goal is to gather all Body Spirit Masters in the world and prove to the world, to the Spirit Master's world: that the Body Martial Soul is not a 'waste Spirit,' but a powerful Spirit that is in no way inferior to any other Spirit, and can even be said to be the most top-tier!"
Seeing Seventeenth's unwavering demeanor, a complex emotion surged within Chu Shanhe. He seemed to see his former self in Seventeenth, the fearless youth who once stood before his own father.
Chu Shanhe slowly sat back in his chair, closing his eyes. In his mind, he constantly replayed the various hardships and setbacks the Sect had endured over these hundreds of years to achieve the goal of "all under heaven being one body." He sighed deeply, muttering, "All Body Martial Souls in the world are one family? Haha, difficult, too difficult. For these hundreds of years, our Sect has been fighting for this, but there's no glimmer of hope."
Seventeenth stood before Chu Shanhe, his gaze fixed on him, a pleading look in his eyes. He knew the helplessness and despair in Chu Shanhe's heart, but he still refused to give up.
"Hundreds of years aren't enough, then thousands of years, tens of thousands of years!" Seventeenth's voice was a little agitated, "Despair? Can it be more despairing than when a 'waste Spirit' is Awakened?" His voice echoed in the room, carrying a sense of resolve and indomitable Spirit.
Seventeenth continued, "If we don't carve out a path now, are we going to let those children face this difficult situation? Second Elder, let me try once, just once, and I might not lose."
Chu Shanhe stared blankly at this child he had watched grow up. Just try once? But there was only one chance; succeed and be king, fail and perish.
Time passed by second by second, and the atmosphere was exceptionally heavy, as if it could suffocate people. In this suffocating stalemate, suddenly, a dazzling streak of light shot across the distant sky, rushing towards them like a meteor.
This streak of light was incredibly fast, reaching outside the hall in the blink of an eye. When the light landed, a closer look revealed it to be Chen Zhen.
He was full of excitement, hurriedly walking towards Chu Shanhe, shouting as he went, "Sect Master, good news, good news!"
"Good... news..." Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Chen Zhen's voice slowly trailed off.
Chu Shanhe looked at Chen Zhen expressionlessly: "You're a Spirit Douluo after all, yet you're so reckless. Aren't you afraid of setting a bad example for the younger ones?"
Then he poured himself a cup of tea. "Speak."
Chen Zhen's mouth twitched when he heard the Sect Master's words. Me setting a bad example for the younger ones?
Among all the children in the Body Sect, whose child is as promising as my Chen Yi?
He's intelligent and clever at such a young age, acts steadily, and even knows how to share his father's worries. Saying that, aren't you, old man, ashamed?
Chen Zhen muttered to himself, then said, "It's Yi'er, he's at..."
He then told the two people present about Chen Yi's discovery and ideas regarding the efficacy of whale glue. At the same time, the eyes of the two men grew brighter and brighter.
They tried to interrupt Chen Yi several times, but held back. Only after Chen Zhen finished speaking did they eagerly open their mouths:
"Fourth Brother, is what you said true? Does that whale glue really have such a miraculous effect? Ancestors bless us, if it's really like this, then we won't have to worry about insufficient Qi and blood anymore!"
Chen Zhen picked up Chu Shanhe's teapot, drank it all, wiped his mouth, and said, "Yi'er speculated this based on the effects of the whale glue, but whether it's truly so still needs to be verified."
Chu Shanhe's eyes flickered continuously, his index finger tapping lightly on the table, and he said thoughtfully:
"Yi'er's idea is indeed quite astonishing, but, considering the previous efficacy of this item, it's possible!"
"Changyou."
"Disciple is here."
"Immediately notify all Spirit Masters in the Sect of seven spirit rings and above to come to Qi and Blood Soaring Hall for a meeting."
"As you command." Seventeenth immediately bowed, then five Spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, and black—appeared on him. The five spirit rings flashed simultaneously, and his figure instantly vanished from Qi and Blood Soaring Hall.
Seventeenth's Spirit was his legs, earning him the title of "the fastest below Spirit Douluo in the Body Sect." This was also one of the reasons the Sect allowed him to travel outside.
Watching Seventeenth's retreating figure, Chu Shanhe's hands, clasped behind his back, clenched tightly, unable to hide the turmoil in his heart.
"Sit."